York people demonstrate about Palestine Action cases

On Friday they held banners about four members of the pro-Palestine group being sentenced in London for causing criminal damage at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm.

The York group said one of its members was among an estimated 500 supporters demonstrating at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday, but the others had chosen to demonstrate outside the York court because it was expensive to travel to London.

According to the prosecution against the Palestine Action four, their actions had caused £1.2m of damage, The four had denied the charges but been convicted at a retrial.

On Monday June 15, members of the York group were back outside the York courthouse as Court of Appeal judges prepared to decide whether the Home Secretary had been right to declare Palestine Action a terrorist organisation.

The York demonstrators held banners saying “Protest is not terrorism”, the same argument used by Palestine Action against the Home Secretary’s decision.

They vowed to continue their support of the organisation’s campaign against its proscription. A High Court judge had declared the Home Secretary’s decision unlawful, but the Court of Appeal overturned that on Monday.

Following the latest court decision, Palestine Action immediately announced it would appeal to the Supreme Court and if that ruled against it to the European Court of Human Rights. The organisation maintains that it has the right to protest.